The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-12-17
FIRST AND SECOND CHILD
 HOOD.
BY MAX.


 St. Paul was not a married man so when he spoke of putting away child ish things he was thinking after the fashion of an old bachelor to whom after his childhood has passed there comes no second interest in the things that children love. For it shows & heathful human nature to be able to take an interest in one's later years in "Robinson Crusoe;". to join child's party in its visit to an enjoyment of the circus, and to let ones self be blindfolded. for the game of blind mans buff. The immortal Ptckwtck in the midst of his grave scientific pursuits took a hand in the latter play, and afforded infinite amusement to his juniors by his enthusiastic en- joyment of it.
 One of the wonders of the present day is the great number of things prepared to make childhood happier. In old times the nursery was under the eaves-a spare room that held but few comforts and whose uncurteined windows were at times horribly sug- gestive of unlocking faces and mid night providers. I can still recall the horror that my sister and had of a certain sash at which we fancied that one night we had detected 8 strange and unfriendly face (impossible at that height from the ground) intrud- ing upon our merriment. Our books were few. The story books which told the romances of "Red Riding Hood," "Jack the Giant Killer" and other champions of childhood, were adorned with coarse little wood-cuts,' some- times daubed with color, far different from the delicious illustrations of Kate Grecnaway. Then the larger books were grimly severe. Mrs. Sherwood always carried a heavy moral around with her. Sondford and Merton were dreary in their preach ings and sometimes inclined an en- thusiastic lad to VOW that he would rather cast in his lot with the reck- less hero than with the goody- good boy. They were monotonous and prosy in all cases, the tiresomely good children being invariably rewarded and the little sinners coming to grief. But now a multitude of writers of both sexes are catering to children and seeking to interest them with books of travel, tales of chivalry and adventure. stories of ship and sea and whatever other theme the heart of boy or girl could desire.
 When the present generation was young I think we found our chief pleasure in the play of the imagina- tion. Many happy hour was passed in visionary world which we peo- pied for ourselves, and which was as real to us for the time being as the actual world of to-day in which we play our maturer part. After lapse of nearly half century I can recall the back yard of our city home, shaded by horse- chestnut tree and abund- ant wisteria and grape vines; and l know in what particular corner was the island of Robinson Crusoe and his man Fysday; just where Ah Ba6a knocked against the wall and cried "Open sesame 1" where stood Doubt ing Castle of John Bunyan; the place where we imagined Bunker Hill to give protection to the "old Continen- tals" and the fort that Moultrie de- fended against the British, and where Don Qmi,rote rode his raid against the windmills. We were omnivorous readers-my sister and land Smol- lett, Bunyan and "The Arabian Nights" were alike welcome to us and alike helped to feed the imagination. Now, too late, 1 wish that 1 could once more give the imagination full play and live in this fairy land of wis., ion, from which too intimate &C., quaintance with the world has forever driven me. live had but the wings of bird how quickly would we soar above our cares.
 Wealth and invention have trans formed the surroundings of childhood. A wealthy Californian has built play house for his children at a cost of $20,000, and some nurseries built by our eastern nabobs on their summer places have cost nearly as much. In many house, instead of a room were old carpets, broken furniture, torn pictures and general discomfort used to reign, one finds soft rugs, tiled fire places, wall paper which tells the story of 'Little Boy Blue" and "Jack and Jill," dainty ceiling in which the blue sky and bright stars figure, and all the surroundings of astheticism. l am glad to see it, for it shows that the grown-up world is learning to take it's second enjoyment of child hood, just as when the gray haired grandfather permits himself to be harnessed up or goes down upon his knees to superintend the latest toy. There needs be no fear that we shall go too far sp <hso Isrocts0n ooma